BOONE, N.C.—Jordyne Blaise will be the next associate vice chancellor for equity, diversity and compliance at Appalachian State University. She will begin work July 1, having most recently served as the inaugural director of community engagement and equity at Harvard Law School.

Jordyne Blaise, director of community engagement and equity at Harvard Law School, will be the next associate vice chancellor of equity, diversity and compliance at Appalachian State University. Photo courtesy of Jordyne Blaise

“Appalachian is committed to developing and allocating resources to the fundamental task of creating a diverse campus culture, and to ensuring that all students, faculty and staff are protected from discrimination in any form,” Provost and Executive Vice Chancellor Darrell P. Kruger said. “Jordyne is eminently qualified for this important leadership position. She brings not only valuable career experience – both as a lawyer and advocate – but also a personal passion for justice and equity.”

Blaise will report to the provost and be responsible for the university’s compliance with laws, regulations and guidelines related to affirmative action, equal opportunity and disability services.

In addition, Blaise will also oversee the Office of Disability Services and serve as the Title IX coordinator. Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972 prohibits discrimination on the basis of sex in any federally funded education program or activity.

Over the course of her career, Blaise has investigated complaints of discrimination and harassment, managed Title IX compliance and developed education programs related to diversity and cultural competence. She served as deputy Title IX coordinator at N.C. State University from 2014 to 2016 and as an equal opportunity specialist at the D.C. Department of Transportation in Washington from 2011 to 2014.

Blaise said she was excited to be joining Appalachian’s leadership team and called its Office of Equity, Diversity and Compliance, which she will oversee, “a phenomenal group.”

“I am drawn to this work because I believe in the transformative power of social change,” she said. “Appalachian’s commitment to global citizenship and creating a sustainable future fits quite nicely with my desire to create a more compassionate and more just world.”

Blaise holds a Juris Doctor degree from Georgetown University, where she also earned a bachelor’s degree in English. She is licensed to practice law in Florida.

As a writer, public speaker and activist, Blaise focuses her work on black women and girls, gender-based violence and various other social justice issues. She has been published nationally as a leading scholar-activist in the areas of civil rights and feminist legal and social theory.

About Appalachian State University

Appalachian State University, in North Carolina’s Blue Ridge Mountains, prepares students to lead purposeful lives as global citizens who understand and engage their responsibilities in creating a sustainable future for all. The transformational Appalachian experience promotes a spirit of inclusion that brings people together in inspiring ways to acquire and create knowledge, to grow holistically, to act with passion and determination, and embrace diversity and difference. As one of 17 campuses in the University of North Carolina system, Appalachian enrolls about 18,000 students, has a low student-to-faculty ratio and offers more than 150 undergraduate and graduate majors.